If you (1) are the article’s corresponding author, (2) choose to publish your article open access in an ACS journal, and (3) are an affiliated researcher (faculty, lecturer, staff, student) at one of SCELCs [[subscribing institutions]], your article is covered under this agreement which will make it more cost effective for you to publish OA. The agreement also continues to provide reading access to ACS journals for all all affiliated researchers.
Payments work differently during the two phases of the agreement:
Phase 1: Articles accepted from January 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022 were eligible for the discounted APC of $3,000, but not for the option to receive full funding of the APC from the subscription pool. If you are an eligible corresponding author and your article was accepted during this period, you will be notified and given instructions for how to publish open access with the discount in ACS’ Journal Publishing Agreement system.
Phase 2: Articles accepted between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2025 were eligible for both the discounted APC of $3,000 and the option for full funding of the APC from the collective subscription pool.
Phase 3: Articles accepted between July 1, 2025 and Dec 31, 2025 will be offered Open access publishing for a discounted rate of $3000, supported by the collective subscription pool.
If you don’t have research funds and you want to publish open access, the libraries will pay your full article processing charge. See above under “if I choose to publish open access, how do payments work?”
Yes. While the we recommend the open access option, and you can rest assured that there will be no additional charge to your Library. Where and how you publish is your decision. The agreement with ACS does not mandate open access publishing, nor does it dictate your journal selection. Rather, it makes the open access publishing option for ACS journals more affordable. As with SCELCs other open access agreements, you can opt out.
Review the ACS page & demo video on "How to Publish Open Access Under a Read + Publish Agreement"